ANNOUNCEMENT: Patreon Fee Changes

Podcast – Conlangery Podcast

Conlangery Statement on Patreon Fee Changes (audio and transcript)

We use Patreon to get a little money to pay some of the site fees and such for Conlangery. Our Patreon has grown some since it started, and I’m grateful to all our Patrons.

However, I need to inform you that the way you pay through Patreon has changed. Patreon has added a thirty-five cent fee on all transactions, which is paid by the patron. Previously, all fees would just be deducted from the pledges, meaning that I’d get less money, but patrons would pay exactly what they signed up for. Now, they are shifting some cost over to patrons.

Thirty-five cents is not a lot, but we have several patrons who pledge only one dollar, and several more pledging five dollars. I really value these small donations. A one dollar option lets more people participate and helps me build a broader base of support. But if someone is only wanting to pledge a dollar, and then they have to spend an extra thirty five cents, that could be enough to discourage them, and I don’t like that.

So, it’s safe to say, I don’t like this change Patreon made. It was done without my input and I have no way to change it. Right now I’m exploring other funding options. I will let people know about those when I make them available. The Patreon will stay open for now, but I do understand if anyone gets this message and decides to cancel, especially people who had small dollar donations.

I would like to ask our listeners what you think. How do you feel about the fee change? Would you prefer a different system? Would you be more or less interested in donating to the podcast if we did things differently? I’m open to suggestions.